Meta and Essilorluxottica just announced two new styles of Ray-Ban Meta glasses “optimized for prescriptions”.
The two ‘Optics Styles’ are Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics. Blayzer Optics has a rectangular style and is available in Standard and Large size, while Scriber Optics has a more rounded look and is only available in one size.
Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer Optics (left) and Ray-Ban Meta Scriber Optics (right).
Compared to the rest of the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 lineup, both Optics Styles feature:
- Overextension hinges that open 10 degrees wider than standard, for less pressure on the side of your head.
- Interchangeable nose pads to suit various nose shapes and sizes.
- Optician-adjustable temple tips that Meta claims “can be shaped to a perfect fit”.
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Ray-Ban Meta Optics Styles
Meta claims these improvements make Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics more suitable for “all-day wear”. The idea here is that the company wants people to use them as their regular everyday prescription eyewear, not just as sunglasses. The existing Ray-Ban Meta glasses already support prescriptions, to be clear, but arguably aren’t comfortable enough for that use case for many people. It remains to be seen whether the new Optics Styles are.
Other than these ergonomic improvements, from a technology perspective they’re almost identical to the rest of the Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 lineup, with the same 8 hours of battery life. The only difference we’re aware of is that they have an extra microphone near the nose pads, making the total number of microphones 6 instead of 5. The case is also dark brown, but otherwise has the same 6 full recharges.
Ray-Ban Meta Blayzer Optics and Ray-Ban Meta Scriber Optics are available to preorder in the US today, starting at $500, and will ship on April 14, when they will also be available in “select international markets” too.
UploadVR’s Kyle Riesenbeck is a self-described “bespectacled individual”, and has preordered Blayzer Optics. We’ll be curious to see whether Meta’s first effort at a prescription-focused product is good enough to tempt him to adopt smart glasses for his everyday eyewear.
